NFL Free Agents Rumors: Jason Babin Is Better Choice for Eagles Than Ray Edwards

The Philadelphia Eagles began the post-NFL lockout offseason with a bang signing big name undrafted free agent after free agent.  News is only expected to get better for Eagles fans later in the week when they may finally get rid of the mediocre Kevin Kolb in return for a Pro Bowl cornerback in Dominique-Rodgers Cromartie.  As if things couldn’t get any better for Philly already, they’ve also been strongly linked to two talented defensive ends, but there’s one end that stands out as the better choice.

According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Minnesota Vikings defensive end Ray Edwards is expected to land in Philadelphia.  The Tennessee Titans Jason Babin is the other end as Pro Football Talk reported that he is indeed talking to the Eagles.  Many Philly fans may prefer the much younger, 26-year-old Ray Edwards compared to the 31-year-old Jason Babin, but don’t be fooled, Babin is the better choice.

Edwards has played his entire career next to All-World defensive lineman: Jared Allen, Kevin Williams and Pat Williams.  Still, despite having so much talent around him to which left Edwards blocked one-on-one, he’s never recorded nine sacks in a season.  In fact, before 2009, he had never even recorded more than five sacks in a single year.

Sure, Jason Babin had never recorded more than five sacks in a season before his breakout year in 2010 when he brought down the opposing quarterback 12.5 times (yeah, he broke one in half).  A critic may call him a one-year wonder that’ll never repeat that performance, but the real wonder is that he put up those numbers with the talent he had around him.  While Edwards failed to put up Pro Bowl numbers with Pro Bowlers around him, Babin put up Pro Bowl numbers with mediocrity around him: Tony Brown, Jason Jones, and Dave Ball.

Maybe mediocre isn’t a fair way to describe Brown, Jones and Ball because they’re solid players, but they aren’t even in the same league as Allen and the two Williams.  Babin has had contract years before and he’s never put up that level of production.  The difference for Babin between last season and every other year he’s played in the league: defensive line coach Jim Washburn.

Washburn left the Titans for Philadelphia after the firing of Jeff Fisher this offseason.  The real factor behind Babin’s sudden success would help him continue that dominance in an Eagles uniform.  Now that we’ve gotten the fact that Babin is the superior talent right now out of the way because the Eagles are all about winning right now (only logical reason to draft a 27-year old guard in the first round), onto possibly the biggest reason why Babin is a better fit for the Eagles than Edwards.

At 31 years old, Babin will not demand as much money on the open market as Edwards would because the former Minnesota Viking is in his prime.  According to the Tennessean’s Jim Wyatt, Babin has been quoted saying, “I'm not looking for Julius Peppers money,” and that he’s all about finding where he fits best.  Because of Washburn, that is without a doubt Philadelphia.

Believe it or not, the Eagles do have other needs than defensive end and cornerback.  They have a huge hole they must fill at the right tackle position.  Their linebackers are also mediocre (and this time that label is deserved) and their interior defensive line isn’t going to drop your jaw, but back to Washburn once again, that could change.

Philadelphia will not be able to fill any of their other needs, if not just at right tackle, if they break the bank for Edwards.  Babin brings a smaller contract which results in more spending money to protect the often injured Michael Vick.  Instead of being forced to sign a bum who’s just a slight upgrade to Winston Justice, with the extra cap room, they may be able to add Jared Gaither or Sean Locklear instead.

So, not only will Babin produce better right now, the less money he’ll demand may just help the Eagles fill other needs right now.  After all, the Eagles are all about winning: right now.

David Daniels is an NFL Featured Columnist at Bleacher Report and a Syndicated Writer. Follow   him on Twitter.